site.btaPanhellenic Blockade Committee Meeting in Serres to Decide Next Moves of Protesting Greek Farmers

The next moves of the protesting Greek farmers at the blockades are to be determined at a meeting of the Panhellenic Blockade Committee, on Thursday, in Serres, Northern Greece, state broadcaster ERT reported.

According to the television channel, the situation is extremely tense, with farmers and livestock breeders expressing strong dissatisfaction and anger, as well as an intention to escalate their protests. A key factor behind the renewed wave of discontent is the situation involving the Hellenic Organization of Agricultural Insurances (ELGA), which deducted funds from farmers’ bank accounts before the payment of their main subsidy. Under standard procedure, insurance contributions to ELGA are automatically withheld when the subsidy is credited. In this case, however, the deductions were made before the funds were paid out, triggering sharp reactions, ERT reported.

The situation prompted statements from government representatives describing the incident as a “technical error”, accompanied by apologies and assurances that it would be corrected. On Wednesday, payments were made to some eligible farmers, but according to agricultural producers, the problem has not been resolved for everyone.

Local media reported that despite their firm stance, farmers have expressed willingness to ease travel for citizens during the upcoming holidays by opening blockades and moving their tractors off the roadway.

Protesting farmers have decided to reopen traffic ahead of schedule at the Kulata–Promachonas border crossing, where a new blockade was set up yesterday, preventing the passage of international long-haul trucks and, for a certain period, private cars as well. The decision was determined because of the formation of kilometre-long queues, which at times stretched up to 20 kilometres.

Farmers periodically block roads, border crossings, ports, and other elements of the country’s transport infrastructure, depending on decisions taken by their local assemblies.

The protests erupted over delays in the payment of agricultural subsidies following a corruption scandal at Greece’s Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid, OPEKEPE, supervised by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.